Masters of Death
by RiordanRowling
Summary: To truly be unite the Deathly Hallows and be Master of Death, one must accept Death's inevitability and greet it as an old friend when it comes for them. Harry Potter did this, and defeated Lord Voldemort, the man who has always run from Death. Seven years later, Death gives a reward to its Master, in the form of the loved ones he lost to the Dark Lord.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything associated with it. The Harry Potter series is the property of J.K. Rowling. This fanfiction is a writing done out of love for the author's work and for creative pleasure. No disrespect or infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.

Author's Note: I hope you all will enjoy this story. Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please be considerate and keep all criticism polite and constructive.

Chapter One: The Resurrected

In the depth of the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries, there is a most chilling room. This room is known as the Death Chamber, a name that is disturbingly fitting. The Death Chamber is the home of the Veil, a physical portal between life and death. On 18 June, 1996, some of the Battle of the Department of Mysteries took place in this and other chambers within the department. The Battle of the Department of Mysteries was the first battle of the Second Wizarding War. It resulted in a victory for the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army, and a single death. Sirius Black, escapee from Azkaban and godfather Harry Potter, was hit with a Killing Curse and sent through the Veil by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Right now, however, Sirius Black is very much alive, lying unconscious on the floor of the Death Chamber in front of the Veil. He has come back from the dead, and he is not alone. In fact, the Death Chamber is distinctly lacking in its characteristic death at the moment. A young man with distinctive red hair is lying next to Mr. Black. This young man is Percy Ignatius Weasley, the third son of Arthur and Molly Weasley who gave his life to save his younger brother Fred in the Battle of Hogwarts. Next to him is his older sister Lucretia Muriel Weasley. She unconsciously reaches out and takes Percy's hand.

Lucretia, or Lucy as she was nicknamed by her father Arthur, is going to cause quite a bit of trouble. She was born on 17 July, 1974, two years before Percy. She was killed a month later on 22 August by Lord Voldemort along with her granduncle Ignatius Prewett. Her death was in retaliation for the defiance of her uncles Fabian and Gideon. Her father was placed under the Imperius Curse to take the rest of the family on an impromptu trip to Shell Cottage and leave Lucy alone in Ignatius's care. Lucy has returned as a stunning young woman in her late twenties, a mix in appearance mix of her mother Molly and her younger sister Ginny. Arthur and Molly will likely be overjoyed to have their daughter back, having been so utterly devastated by her loss. However, she and her younger siblings are unaware of each other's' existences. This, combined with her increased age, will make verifying her identity very difficult. Things are going to get very complicated here very soon.

On the other side of Sirius is a lovely young woman by the name of Rose Monica Granger, younger Muggle sister to Hermione Granger who could pass for her identical twin. Rose was hit by a Killing Curse from Bellatrix Lestrange as she was Disapparated out of Malfoy Manor by Dobby, a free House-Elf, and died upon Apparition to Shell Cottage. Lying near Rose is a happily married couple. The man's name is Remus John Lupin, and he is not an ordinary man. He is a werewolf, and thus considered a Beast in the Wizarding World. His much younger wife Nymphadora, commonly referred to by her maiden surname Tonks, is no ordinary woman, being a Metamorohmagus. One might say they fit well together because of that. Mr. and Mrs. Lupin were killed in the Battle of Hogwarts not long after the birth of their beloved son Teddy. Remus wraps his arms around his wife and holds her close to comfort and protect her.

Next to Remus is another nice married couple, this one by the names of James and Lily Potter. Mr. Potter is a fine looking middle aged man, with glasses and messy black hair. Mrs. Potter is a very beautiful woman with long red hair and striking green eyes. James and Lily died first among the formerly dead here, giving their lives to protect their only son Harry from Lord Voldemort on Halloween, 1981. Next to Lily is a very loyal man by the name of Potions Master Professor Severus Snape, a Death Eater who was murdered by Lord Voldemort and his snake Nagini after his true loyalty to Lily and to the Order of the Phoenix was revealed. James and Lily join hands, and then Lily reaches out and squeezes the hand of Severus, her old and dear friend. A silent gesture of thanks for his many years of undying love and friendship.

The last two people in the Death Chamber are a handsome young man and a very old men. The young man is Cedric Diggory, the first death of the Second Wizarding War. The old man is none other than Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry until his death in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower. The elderly Headmaster has a smile on his face, as if he unconsciously realizes what has just happened and is most amused by it. He may have guessed already the pattern of what is going on here. The eleven people that have been resurrected and brought back through the Veil are all people who have died by the Killing Curse at the hands of Lord Voldemort or Bellatrix, his lieutenant, his lover, and the mother of his child.

Three young Ministry of Magic employees enter the Death Chamber together, coming to investigate the disturbance. They are none other than Harry James Potter, Auror, and his best friends Ronald Bilius Weasley, employee of Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Hermione Jean Weasley (née Granger), employee of the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. They have been sent by the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, as they are trusted by him and familiar with the Department of Mysteries. Their entry into the Death Chamber has the immediate effect of waking the Resurrected from their slumber. The Resurrected need no introductions to know who the three young people in front of them are.

Albus is the first to awaken, and smiles serenely at the Golden Trio as if there is nothing unusual going on at all. Sirius looks absolutely delighted to see them, despite the fact that he expects to be taken back to Azkaban any minute now. Remus and Tonks look equally delighted at their arrival, even though they are more eager to be reunited with Teddy. Rose has tears in her eyes at the sight of her big sister. Cedric smiles and waves politely, as he is not very close with any of them. Even Severus nods his head curtly, despite his past animosity with the three. The other Resurrected have far stronger reactions at their arrival.

James and Lily are staring fixated on Harry, who was only a baby the last time they saw him. He is now a man, and this realization fills them with great sadness and regret. They have missed some of the most important moments of his life. Percy looks slightly nervous, his eyes trained on his youngest brother while still clutching his sister's hand. He knows Ron has forgiven him for his betrayal of his family, but he knows that the hurt and resentment have likely not gone away. Lucy stares at Ron and Percy with great curiosity and wonder, having a good idea that they are her brothers. She doesn't know anything about them though, not even their names. She is itching for an explanation for all of this.

The reactions of the Golden Trio, as they are called, are perhaps even more extreme than those of the Resurrected. Harry is overwhelmed to see the family and close friends that he thought he had lost forever. The pain and guilt of their deaths coming rushing back to him with a vengeance. It is balanced by the sheer joy he feels at seeing them all, at having his parents and godfather back. Ron stares transfixed at his older brother and the girl he is holding hands with. She looks so much like his little sister Ginny, but he doesn't have a clue as to who she is. Hermione has to hold back the urge to burst into tears at the sight of her little sister and her dear friends. It takes every ounce of discipline in them not to rush to emotionally greet and embrace the Resurrected.

There can be no emotional reunions just yet. There is business to be done before that can happen. The identities of the Resurrected must be verified. The Second Wizarding War ended seven years ago, but is still fresh in everyone's minds. Even though Lord Voldemort is gone and the war is over, they cannot let their guard down. These people could possibly be imposters who mean to do harm. Harry's Auror training and instincts kick in, and he points his wand at the twelve formerly dead. Ron and Hermione quickly follow suit, raising their wands also. All of the Resurrected except for Lucy inexplicably have their own wands on them, but instead raise their hands in surrender.

In carefully controlled voice, Harry addresses Hermione, "Hermione, please go inform the Minister about what has happened down here. Bring him down here, and be sure to bring Veritaserum. We will need to question them. Ron and I will hold them here until you get back."

Hermione nods and exits the Death Chamber, while Ron moves closer to Harry. Harry now addresses the Resurrected, "You will stay where you are, and you will not move. You will take your wands out and set them on the floor, keeping your hands where we can see them. You will be questioned by us and the Minister using Veritaserum, so that your identities may be verified. You will not speak until that time. Cooperate and no harm will come to you."

The Resurrected nod in understanding and compliance, knowing that it would be a good idea to make Harry angry at them. Harry and Ron do not lower their wands though. They keep them trained steadily on the Resurrected. It does not take long for Hermione to return with Kingsley and the Veritaserum. Kingsley looks immensely shocked to see them. He knows who they all are of course, due to the Order of the Phoenix. Kingsley waits as Ron binds the Resurrected, Harry distributes the Veritaserum, and Hermione Summons up a quill and parchment to keep records. With a nod to the Golden Trio, he starts to individually question the Resurrected.

It is several hours before the questioning is finished, each person's identity is confirmed, and the Resurrected are permitted to leave the Department of Mysteries. Kingsley leaves to inform the rest of the Ministry as to what has happened, but dismisses Harry, Ron, and Hermione for the day and a few days off. He knows that they will need and want some personal time with the loved ones they thought they had lost forever. With Kingsley's exit, the Golden Trio and the Resurrected are left alone together.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything associated with it. The Harry Potter series is the property of J.K. Rowling. This fanfiction is a writing done out of love for the author's work and for creative pleasure. No disrespect or infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.

Author's Note: Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please be considerate and keep all criticism polite and constructive. I am overwhelmed at how much response this story has gotten in such as short time! Thank you all so much! Here are the next two chapters.

Chapter Two: The Prince and the Sorceress

Kingsley's departure was like being freed from a Full Body-Bind Curse for both the Resurrected and the Golden Trio. Everyone immediately springs into some form of action, and the normally silent and somber Death Chamber quickly becomes very loud. There is lots of hugging and exclamations all around. Anyone in the Department of Mysteries at this moment is probably wondering what in the name of sweet sanity is going on. Luckily, very few Unspeakables are brave enough to venture into the Death Chamber, so the Trio and the Resurrected are left undisturbed.

Well, they are left mostly undisturbed. One young Unspeakable of about two years older than Tonks does dare to enter the Death Chamber to investigate. However, this particular Unspeakable has a very good reason for doing so. Her name is Madelyne Flamel, and she is perhaps Albus Dumbledore's greatest secret. She is his beloved grandniece, the granddaughter of his younger brother Aberforth and also of his friends Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel. The elderly Headmaster, a kindly, powerful and influential wizard to most in the Wizarding World, is simply Uncle Albus to her. She has grown into a lovely and formidable young witch in her own right, despite being paralyzed after being thrown from the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower by Quirinus Quirrell when she wouldn't give him the location of Nicolas's Sorcerer's Stone. Albus's face positively lights up when he sees her wheel into the Death Chamber and look about the people in the room.

He quickly crosses over to her, and lifts her out of her wheelchair with expected strength for a man as old and thin as he. The others in the Death Chamber simply stare at the scene in shock and bewilderment. They have no idea who this young woman is, as they had long believed that Dumbledore didn't have any family. None of them had seen her at his funeral, though she was there in secret with her grandfather. Madelyne pays them no heed though, as she has eyes for only person in the room. That person is none other than Severus Snape, the man who killed her Uncle Albus. Madelyne extricates herself from Albus's embrace, and advances on the Potions Master.

The others part to give the two some space, unsure of how this is going to play out. Dumbledore's loyal Phoenix, Fawkes, soars in to the Death Chamber and lands at her shoulder. Severus stands firm, ready to accept any blows this girl may deal him. Lily and Harry prepare their wands, ready to defend Snape if needed. It is unnecessary though, Madelyne simply gives him a nod of gratitude and an understanding smile, much to Severus's puzzlement.

She turns her head towards Albus and says teasingly, "What's the story, old man? Was Death not the great new adventure you've always thought it to be? Is that why you've come back, dragging your poor loyal Potions Master and all these other unfortunate souls back with you?"

The Headmaster of Hogwarts gives protest at this comment, completely at a loss for words, and everyone laughs at the novelty of seeing Albus Dumbledore rendered speechless.

She holds out her hand to Severus. "I must thank you for looking after Uncle Albus for me, Professor Snape. I'm Madelyne Flamel. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

He takes her hand, and says quietly and gently, "You may call me Severus, and the pleasure is all mine."

Their hands touch slightly longer than is normal for a handshake. Their eyes linger on each other, before Madelyne is taken and introduced to the other Resurrected and the Golden Trio. She is polite but clearly distracted, though she is extremely interested to finally meet the Trio. Albus has spoken so fondly of them to her over the years. The Trio is equally interested in her, having known Dumbledore for years and having rescued the Sorcerer's Stone in their First Year. Madelyne's mind, however, is still on the Potions Master. She finds him to be an interesting enigma. Albus has spoken him highly of him, and she can see that he was quite right to do so. She feels a deep sense of courage and loyalty from this troubled man. It makes her want to get to learn him more about him, intends to do just that.

Severus is still looking at Madelyne. This young woman in her early thirties with her short brown hair and bright blue eyes has piqued his interest. He has never met anyone like her before. He can tell she is both skilled and intelligent. She is an Unspeakable and related to both Albus Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, so that is not any surprise. The thing that surprises him is her aura of wisdom and kindness. The way she addressed him clearly showed this. One would not expect a close relation of someone you killed to be pleased to meet them. There is obviously more to this woman then he know, and he inexplicably feels compelled to find it all out.

Lily can easily see that her old friend has been taken by this young woman. She gives him an inquiring glance, trying to gauge what he is thinking. She then looks at Madelyne, and sees that she is just as affected by Severus as he is by her. Lily knows what she must do now. She looks at her son, and sees an identical look of determination on his face. She knows that Harry feels the need to repay Severus for his continued protection over the years in spite of their mutual dislike of each other. She knows he will definitely help her in her plan. He gives her a nod in understanding, and the pact is sealed between them. She looks around again to look for others to assist them.

Lily's eyes fall on her husband James. James had a real shock at learning of Severus's true loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix, the depth of his devotion to Lily, and his protection of their son. His guilt and shame at how he treated Severus in their Hogwarts years is written plainly on his face. James knows he owes Severus a great debt, and he knows he must now repay it. He nods to her as Harry did. He is with them, as he always been. Albus gives Lily a smile and a conspiratorial wink. His is in too, much to Lily's satisfaction. The contract has been signed, and they are ready to begin. They will see to it that Severus Snape finds happiness. That will have to wait a little while though. There are still many things that need to be addressed first.

Chief among these things is a certain Miss Weasley. All of the Resurrected have been aged up to the age they would be of they had lived, but Lucy has had the most dramatic change. Lucy has gone from an infant to a woman. This is all terribly confusing and disorienting for her. She has taken comfort from holding Percy's hand. She now takes a closer look at him. He doesn't look to be too much younger than her, so she guesses that he was probably the next to be born after her. Percy gives her an encouraging smile and squeezes her hand.

He speaks in a soft, soothing voice. "I'm Percy Weasley. Its very nice to finally meet you, sister."

She gives him a small, tentative smile in return. "I'm Lucy. Its nice to meet you too, Percy. You'll forgive me for being blunt, but don't we have two other brothers? Where are they? Where are Mum and Dad?"

"Yes, we have two older brothers, Bill and Charlie. Bill lives with his wife and daughter in Shell Cottage, and old house of our family's. Charlie lives in Romania, working with Dragons. Mum and Dad are at home, which we call the Burrow. Dad would normally be here at the Ministry, but he's off today. Also, we have three other brothers and a sister."

"Three other brothers?! And a sister?! Why, that means their is eight of us! Mum and Dad must've gone crazy!"

Percy laughs a little, a rarity for him. "No, I'm afraid we didn't succeed at making them go mad. Their quite sane, and will be quite happy to see you."

"Why are we still here, then?"

Percy smiles, "Hold on. There are some people you will want to meet."

He gives a brief overview of who everyone in the room is, but gestures for Ron, Hermione, and Harry to join them. They all shake hands as Percy makes the introductions. "Lucy, this is our youngest brother Ron, his wife Hermione, and our brother-in-law, Harry Potter. Ron, Harry, Hermione, this is our sister, Lucy Weasley."

Ron looks about ready to faint from shock. He manages a meek, "How?!"

Hermione shakes her head at her husband in exasperation and fondness. She understands how he must be feeling. She just got her younger sister back, after thinking she was gone forever. Ron had no idea he had an older sister, and now she has suddenly appeared in his life. She is sympathetic, but not enough to let him get away with his old habits. "Honestly, Ronald, must I explain everything to you? This woman is obviously you older sister, who must have died when she was very young. She was likely born between Charlie and Percy, and died before Percy was born. You were likely never told by your parents because it would've been extremely difficult for them to talk about. I expect this will be quite a shock for them."

Percy pales considerably, "Yes, between Lucy and myself, I expect that it will be."

A little ashamed of herself, Hermione quickly tries to sooth the three siblings, seeing the turmoil that she has created on their faces.

Harry steps up, ever the leader. He gathers the rest of the Resurrected and Madelyne. Introductions are made and all necessary pleasantries are exchanged. Then, he informs the group, "We will all be going to Number 12 Grimmauld Place."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything associated with it. The Harry Potter series is the property of J.K. Rowling. This fanfiction is a writing done out of love for the author's work and for creative pleasure. No disrespect or infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.

Author's Note: Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please be considerate and keep all criticism polite and constructive.

Chapter Three: Number Twelve Grimmauld Place

Harry and the Resurrected Apparate into 12 Grimmauld Place, the former Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. They have been anxiously expected for some time it looks like. The House-Elves, Kreacher and Dobby, have made quite a feast for the Golden Trio and Resurrected. The woman standing on the doorway is none other than Ginny Potter (née Weasley). She cannot believe her eyes. She had are received Harry's Patronus explaining the situation, but she had been very reluctant to believe it. Now that the proof is staring her in the face though, she is absolutely astonished.

Ginny breaks from her reverie and rounds on Percy, shouting at him Molly Weasley style then hugging him fiercely. She then turns on Sirius, slapping him hard across the face and berating him for putting himself in danger, dying, and leaving Harry devastated. She next visits her wrath on Tonks, chastising her for not staying home and leaving Teddy an orphan. She calms down after getting that out of her system and greets them enthusiastically. The others back away from her, but she merely smiles and tells them how delighted she is that they are back. Harry then pulls her away from the crowd.

He first introduces Ginny to Madelyne, then calls Lucy over to meet her younger sister. "Ginny, I'd like you to meet you're older sister, Lucy Weasley."

The two Weasley women embrace tearfully. They both need this right now, the love and support of a sibling. Percy and Ron come over and wrap their arms around their sisters. It is an emotional moment. They cannot wait until the whole family is together. The Weasley family will be whole and complete for the first time ever, and they can't wait for that. They take a moment before collecting themselves and going back to everyone else.

Harry then brings Ginny over to James and Lily. "Mum, Dad, this is my wife Ginny. Ginny, these are my parents, James and Lily Potter."

Lily smiles and shakes hands with Ginny, "Its very nice to meet you, Ginny."

"You too, Mrs. Potter."

"Please call me Lily, dear. You are Mrs. Potter too after all. It will be less confusing this way, don't you think?"

Ginny gives a small laugh in return. She holds out her hand for James to shake, but is instead engulfed in a hug. "Its nice to meet you too, Mr. Potter."

"James, my dear girl, please do call me James. Anytime I'm called Mr. Potter I think that I've been up to no good and dear old Professor McGonagall has caught me."

Everyone laughs at this, especially Sirius and Remus. The laughter quickly dissipates when a several little heads pop into the doorway to the dining room. The room goes completely silent as the Resurrected catch site of the children.

Ginny calls out to them, "Its alright. Come on in and greet out guests."

Four little two year old bodies toddle into the room, while a boy of about seven stays frozen where he is. A small boy runs to Ginny and latches on to her leg. Another small boy runs to Harry and is scooped up. These little boys are quite interesting. They are identical twins and miniature versions of Harry, but they do not have the same eye color. The boy attached to Ginny's leg had her warm brown eyes. The boy in Harry's arms has his striking green eyes, which Harry inherited from Lily. A little girl runs to Ron and is picked up immediately. She is Ron in miniature, with bright red hair and blue eyes. Another little boy latches on to Harry's leg. This little boy is blonde with blue eyes, and clearly not brother to the boys or the girl. All four children are looking at the Resurrected in fear, while the Resurrected stare at them in shock.

They are about to get even more of a shock. Ginny leaves the dining room with her young son still sticking close by her side, and Hermione follows her out. When they return, there are even more little ones for the Resurrected to gawk over. Each woman comes back with a baby in her arms. Ginny has a baby girl in her arms, who is her little clone with red hair and brown eyes. Hermione has a baby boy in her arms, with bushy brown hair and brown eyes. The two women sit down at the table with the infants. The Resurrected are brought out of their stunned stupors.

Sirius says in an excited whisper, "Are those your children?!"

The Golden Trio and Ginny nod happily in confirmation. The Resurrected don't even wait to hear the children's names. They go and pick up a child to hold and fawn over.

James takes the baby girl from Ginny and rocks her in his arms. Lily takes the little blonde girl off of Harry's leg. Sirius takes the little boy from Ginny's leg. Percy snatches up the little redheaded girl from Ron. Rose takes the baby boy off Hermione. Lucy even gets in on the action, she is right next to Percy when he sits down with the little girl. Albus goes around and cheerfully greets and affectionately fawns over each child. All of the children are most amused by him and his long, white beard. Severus even has a genuine smile on his face. They look like they could not be any happier than seeing these lovely children.

Ron sneaks out of the room to use the Floo Network to call his parents and siblings and get the whole Weasley family to come to 12 Grimmauld Place. He is gone long enough that everyone has noticed his absence. Ron then distracts by starting to introduce the children.

He takes the little redhead from Percy, "This is Hermione and I's daughter, Rose Hermione Wealsey." Rose Granger snatches up little Rose Weasley from her father, only to have Hermione take the baby boy from her. Hermione picks up the introductions, This is our son, Hugo Arthur Weasley." Her sister takes Hugo back as soon as she is finished, glaring at her older sister. Hermione shakes her head fondly and sits down.

Ginny picks up where she left off and starts to introduce the other children to the Resurrected.

He picks up the twin boy with Ginny's eyes from Sirius. "I'd like you all to meet Harry and I's son, James Sirius Potter. James Sirius Potter, I'd like you to meet James Potter and Sirius Black." James smiles gratefully at Harry but does not move, not wanting to relinquish the baby. Sirius takes James Sirius back and sits down with him next to James. James Sirius is now very excited, having always idolized his prankster grandfather and his "Uncle Sirius". He crawls into James's lap. The two Marauders are delighted at the little boy's enthusiasm for them.

James is less delighted when his daughter-in-law takes the baby from him. "This is our daughter, Lily Luna Potter. Lily Luna Potter, meet Lily Potter." Lily reaches out to take Lily Luna, but she keeps the blonde little boy in her lap. James is pouting, and gets a hug from James Sirius to cheer him up. This does the trick nicely, and he hugs his grandson back. Ginny sits back down and Harry gets up.

He gestures to the blonde little boy, "This is Evan Harry Dursley, the Muggle-born wizard son of my cousin, Dudley Dursley. He is visiting for a couple weeks of the summer holiday." Lily looks shocked and sad at this. She knows that Vernon and Petunia Dursley would never stand to have a witch or wizard in their family. She can only imagine how they have treated this poor boy. Harry ignores Lily and continues the introduction of the last child.

He indicates the little boy in his arms. "This is Ginny and I's other son and James Sirius's twin brother, Albus Severus Potter. Albus Severus, meet Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape."

Albus hugs Harry, clearly touched by the little boy's name. Severus looks shocked, as does everyone else, but his expression softens and he reaches out his hands for the boy. Harry hands Albus Severus to Severus. Severus smiles down at the child in his arms and sits back down in his seat. He has secretly always hoped to be a father and have a child of his own. When he was a young man, he had hoped that he would marry Lily and that she would be the mother of that child. Now, he knows that will never happen, but he looks over at Madelyne and he wonders if there might still be a chance for him to be happy. Lily smiles at his expression, and remembers her plan.

Harry walks to the doorway, where the little seven year old boy is still standing all alone. He takes the boy gently by the hand, "This is my godson, Teddy Remus Lupin. Teddy, I'd like you to meet your parents, Remus and Nymphadora Lupin."

Remus and Tonks look at the little boy with tears of joy in their eyes. This is their sweet little boy, who they have missed so much. Teddy has tears of joy in his eyes too, looking up at the parents he always wanted to meet. Remus picks up Teddy and holds him tight, letting the boy cry on his shoulder. Tonks hugs them both, and kisses her son on the cheek. The three of them stay like that for several silent moments.

The other children are given back to their parents. Then there is lots of clapping and cheering for the reunion of Remus, Tonks, and Teddy. The three smile at the cheers of their dear friends. They are thankful for the love and support. Remus and Tonks give Harry a grateful look, seeing what a wonderful godfather he has been to their son. The emotions are running extremely high right now for all of them.

To take the attention off of their private moment, Ron stands up, "Alright everyone, I have an announcement to make. I have contacted my parents. They will be getting a hold of and gathering everyone. The entire Weasley Family will all be here tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything associated with it. The Harry Potter series is the property of J.K. Rowling. This fanfiction is a writing done out of love for the author's work and for creative pleasure. No disrespect or infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.

Author's Note: Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please be considerate and keep all criticism polite and constructive.

Chapter Four: The Weasley Family

If Percy, Sirius, and Tonks thought that Ginny's anger had been a sight to behold, they have not seen anything yet. When Mrs. Molly Weasley arrives at 12 Grimmauld Place, all of London probably knows it. James Sirius, Albus Severus, Rose Weasley, and their cousins promptly hide themselves. They know to make themselves scarce when Grandma Molly is angry. Teddy hangs on to Remus for dear life, and Evan is being securely held by his Uncle Harry. Lily Luna and Hugo are both miraculously still asleep in the nursery. Thinking the shouting was from an enemy attack, Lucy runs upstairs to guard the nursery despite being wandless. None of the Weasleys have seen her, nor has she seen them, which is probably a good thing.

All the adults adults look on as Molly's rage breaks over the three. Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny are very amused, as do Harry, Fleur, and even Hermione a little. Arthur shoots eve-ryone apologetic looks, but does nothing to stop his wife. Fred's wife Angelina, George's wife Padma, Severus, Madelyne, and Cedric just looked on with polite indifference. James and Lily looked alarmed, wondering if they should intervene. Percy's wife, and former widow, Audrey is torn between coming to his defense or helping her mother-in-law. She decides to just stay where she is. A very wise decision.

Molly is giving Percy the most severe of her famous shouting lectures. Percy, having witnessed his brothers get such lectures before, knows to stay where he was and not say anything until she was finished. Molly gives Sirius such a hexing that he ran for cover. He is now crouched behind James in a very undignified manner. Tonks gets such a scolding from Molly that she is left sob-bing and begging for forgiveness like a child who has been put in time out. If this was Molly's re-action, Tonks shuddered to think of the scolding her own mother, Andromeda Tonks, was going to give her when they reunited. Teddy gets distressed at seeing his mother distressed, and only Remus's soothing keeps him from crying out. There are no signs that Molly would be stopping anytime soon.

Lucy can't stand it any more. She had to defend her brothers from this attack. She still doesn't know that this it is her own mother doing all the shouting. Lucy rushes around frantically looking for a wand or anything else that she could use as a weapon. She quickly finds Percy's wand, which he had wisely left in the guestroom he was using. Lucy takes her brother's wand and runs back down the stairs.

Lucy raises the wand at her mother's back and shouts, "Stop!"

Molly stops shouting at once and turns around. She is shocked at what she sees there. A young woman who looks just like her, and just like her daughter Ginny. Arthur, the Weasley brothers (minus Percy and Ron) and their wives (minus Hermione) looked every bit as shocked as she was. They knew about Percy, and were ecstatic to have him back, but they had not been told about Lucy. The truth dawns on Molly, Arthur, Bill, and Charlie at the same time. This woman must be their little Lucy, their baby girl they had thought long gone. Her death had been crushing for them, especially for Arthur. Now, here she was, very much alive and very much a grown woman.

Arthur's knees buckle slightly, and Lily puts her hands around the Weasley patriarch's shoulders. Molly falls to the floor in a dead faint, with James catching her before she's hurt. James and Lily knew what Molly and Arthur must be going through right now. They knew how disorienting this must be, seeing their child as a baby one minute then an adult the next. James and Lily's hearts went out to Arthur and Molly. James and Lily had died leaving Harry unharmed, but Arthur and Molly had to survive the death of their baby. The Weasley siblings rush to their mother's side, but she regains consciousness quickly and waves them away. Molly rises to her feet and looks her elder daughter dead in the eyes. There are tears running down Molly's face, and so, so much love in her eyes.

Lucy meets her mother's gaze, and slowly lets Percy's wand slip out of her hand. Arthur steps out past his wife. He and Lucy run toward each other at the same time. Father and daughter embrace for the first time in thirty-one years. Tears stream down both of their faces.

Lucy looks into her father's eyes and whispers, "Daddy? Is that really you?"

"Yes, sweetheart, its really me."

Lucy starts to sob for joy into her father's shoulder. Arthur just holds her, trying not to start sob-bing right along with her.

Percy gathers his mother into his arms, and lets her sob for joy as he hugs her. While Fred and George stare open mouthed at the scene in front of them, while Bill and Charlie smile at the re-union of Arthur and Lucy. Bill and Charlie are old enough to remember Lucy and her death, so they knew who she is. They each put a hand on Lucy's shoulders. Arthur and Molly are standing hand in hand with all eight of their children for the first time.

The room erupts in loud cheering. Everyone knows Arthur and Molly Weasley well. They know that they are extremely loving and devoted parents to their children. They all saw how hurt the couple was by the death of Percy, who died as an adult. They can't imagine the utter devastation Arthur and Molly felt upon the death of their infant daughter. They are more than deserving of the miracle they have received today. Everyone is extremely happy for the Weasley family.

Arthur gives Lucy a kiss on the forehead. He puts an arm around her shoulder, and Lucy lays her head on his shoulder. Lucy, and the other Resurrected who don't know them, are quickly in-troduced to her other brothers and their families by Molly.

Molly starts, indicating Bill and Fleur, "This is your oldest brother Bill, his wife Fleur, and their three children, Victoire Apolline, Dominique Gabrielle, and Louis William Weasley."

Bill is the same as ever. He still had his long red hair and his edgier attire. Fleur has lost none of her inherited Veela beauty. Their eldest child, seven year old Victoire, was born on the day of the Battle of Hogwarts, and is an undeniable Weasley in her looks. Her five year old younger sister, Dominique, on the other hand, is Fleur's little clone. Three year old Louis is a good mix of his parents. All three children

Molly goes on, "This is our adventurer, your brother Charlie." Lucy can tell that she is going to like Charlie. She can immediately see that he can empathize with her more than the others. Charlie smiles at her, knowing what she needs. Working and living in a different country and ca-reer field than his family, Charlie understands the distance she feels from the family in spite of deep mutual love. Lucy is grateful that she will have someone from her family that can under-stand her in some way.

Molly puts her arms around Fred and George, "These are our resident troublemakers, your brothers Fred and George." The twins reward their mother with kisses on the cheek for her whol-ly appropriate introduction. "Fred, George, this is your older sister, Lucy."

The twins resolve to get the full story later from Bill or Charlie. Right now, they proceed to treat Lucy to their usual charming, mischievous, and dramatic selves. Lucy is laughing heartily, a sound that her family finds very encouraging. Molly shakes her head fondly, then introduces the twins' families to Lucy.

"This is George's wife, Padma, and their son, Panju Ronald Weasley. This is Angelina, Fred's wife, and their children, Percy Fred Weasley and Roxanne Angelina Weasley."

Percy snaps to attention at hearing his nephew's name. He looks at Fred, completely dumb-founded. Fred laughs at the expression on his normally serious brother's face, and nods at Percy in confirmation. Percy scoops up the little six year old boy, who seems very pleased to meet him. He then seizes Fred by the shirt and pulls him in for a bear hug and dances the three of them around a bit. Everyone cracks up at seeing Percy react in a way so uncharacteristic of him.

Four year old Roxanne pouts a little at not being a part of Percy's little happy dance. Lucy goes over and picks her up, spinning her around and eliciting some happy squeals. Two year old Pan-ju laughs at the antics of his cousins, showing none of the shyness the other children had upon first meeting the Resurrected. He appraises them with mischief and carefree eye, leaving them no doubt that this boy is truly the son of George Weasley and the nephew of Fred Weasley. Pan-ju, like James Sirius, is most interested in the three Marauders that his father and Uncle Fred idolized so much. One look of warning from Grandma Molly tells him not to get any ideas just yet.

Molly has only three people left to introduce, and she has clearly left them for last. She snaps her fingers importantly, and Fred and George take up stations behind Percy and Lucy. "This is Audrey, Percy's wife, and their twin daughters, Molly Audrey and Lucretia Cedrella "Lucy" Wea-sley."

George has to physically restrain Lucy as she begins to freak out with excitement over the fact that she has a niece named after her. The Weasley siblings chuckle as they remember Molly's reaction when little Molly Audrey's name was announced. The Weasley matriarch had done pret-ty much the exact same thing Lucy was doing now.

Percy falls back against Fred, who puts him back on his feet. Astonished, he stares at his six year old twin daughters. They have his curly, Weaseley red hair, but look exactly like their moth-er otherwise. Percy takes a knee and opens his arms. The two girls fly into his embrace without hesitation.

Their excited squeals of "Daddy! Daddy!" melt absolutely everyone's hearts.

Another loud round of clapping and cheering at yet another heartwarming reunion. The Resur-rect are of course delighted to have more children in the house. They repeat their earlier excited fawning, with Albus once again being a crowd favorite. Molly and Lily then lead the ordeal of put-ting all of the children to bed.

With that done, everyone starts to get settled in for the night. They go back into the dining room and get to work on some delectable desserts prepared by Dobby and Kreacher. Things slowly start to calm down at 12 Grimmauld Place.

There is a knock at the front door. Everyone gets their wands out, and Harry goes to open the door. He opens it to reveal Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and Andromeda Tonks.


	5. Chapter 5

**Spoiler Warning: This chapter heavily references Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and as such spoilers will be present. Please read Harry Potter and the Crused Child before reading this chapter if you wish to avoid spoilers.**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything associated with it. The Harry Potter series is the property of J.K. Rowling. This fanfiction is a writing done out of love for the author's work and for creative pleasure. No disrespect or infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.

Author's Note: Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please be considerate and keep all criticism polite and constructive.

Chapter Five: The Dragon and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter quickly lowers his wand and instructs the others to do so as well. He doesn't necessarily trust Narcissa Malfoy, but he is inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt on account of the fact that she betrayed Lord Voldemort and probably saved his life. She has also come without her husband, which sparks the curiousity of everyone present. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy are known to be extremely devoted to each other. Harry and the others are on cordial terms with Draco now, and know that Draco has changed. The fact that they are in the company of Andromeda, who would never associate with her sister and nephew unless she had very good reason to do so, lets everyone know that this is a matter of great importance.

Besides, nobody is not going to attack them while they have brought children with them. Draco's wife Astoria holds their two year old son, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, protectively in her arms. Scorpius is a sweet boy, Draco's little clone in looks, and gets along with Albus Severus. Narcissa is holding a young girl Teddy's age that they have never laid eyes. The little girl is shaking with fear and appears to be in considerable distress. She has her head buried in Narcissa's shoulder. With a nod from Ginny, Harry steps aside and lets Andromeda and the Malfoys enter his home.

The Malfoys are no doubt to encounter the Resurrected, necessitating introductions and a brief summary of recent events. The crying child is introduced only by the name of Delphi. Andormeda wastes no time running to Tonks, Sirius, and Remus, hugging each of them fiercely. As she predicted, Tonks gets severely reprimanded by her mother. Her only consolation is that Sirius gets the same treatment. Draco shakes hands with the Harry, Ron, and Hermione, then greets Severus warmly. Ginny escorts Astoria upstairs to put Scorpius to bed in James Sirius and Albus Severus's room. Molly sends Audrey, Angelina, and Padma upstairs after them to mind the children. Dobby and Kreacher quickly prepare tea for the newcomers. Ginny and Astoria come back down, and everyone except for Narcissa takes a seat to hear about what has brought the Malfoys to Grimmauld Place at such an hour.

Narcissa hands Delphi off to her daughter-in-law and excuses herself to go stand guard outside, drawing her wand. This alarms everyone, but most especially Delphi. She cries, "No, Aunt Cissy! Don't go!"

Narcissa smiles gently at her, "I will be alright, sweetheart. Do not worry."

She steps outside, after giving Dephi a kiss on the forehead to reassure her. Delphi gives a little sniffle and curls into Astoria's embrace, still looking quite fearful. Astoria attempts to sooth her, hugging her close. Everyone looks at little Delphi with concern, wondering what could be frightening the poor child so much. Their hearts go out to her, no child should be so distraught.

Draco clears his throat softly to get everyone's attention. He takes Delphi from his wife, and she holds on to him for dear life. He softly strokes her hair to calm her down. "Right, I suppose I should explain why we have come. I'm afraid it is a long and unpleasant story. First, I must get the most unpleasant bit out of the way." He indicates Delphi, "This is my cousin Delphini Narcissa Lestrange, the daughter of Voldemort and my aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange."

The uproar is instant and loud, with many exclamations along the lines of "Voldemort had a daughter?!" and "No! It's not possible!". No one is inclined to believe this, nor do they want to. Draco puts his hand up for silence. He produces a vial containing memories from both him and his mother. He everyone to view them when he is finished, assuring them that they will validate everything he is telling them. This satisfies them for the time being, though they will definitely be taking a close look at these memories later.

Delphi is shaking with fear again, and the reason why is now painfully obvious. The poor girl thinks they are all going to hate her, be disgusted with her. She is face to face with the people who killed her parents, Harry Potter and Molly Weasley. Everyone else has directly or indirectly suffered at the hands of her parents. Sure, they all hated Voldemort and Bellatrix, but they would would never take that out on Delphi. It isn't right to judge Delphi for the actions of the parents, particularly parents the child has never met and does not know. Severus in particular has learned this lesson over the years. He judged Harry because of his poor opinion of James, and treated Harry horribly as a result. This caused them both angst and pain, and Severus is determined not to make the same mistake in this second chance at life for him.

The reception Delphi receives is far different than she expected. Tonks greets her new cousin with a gentle, "Wotcher, Delphi." Albus and Severus both look at Delphi with sad expressions on their faces. Molly grabs a small blanket and wraps it around the little girl, giving the little girl's leg a gentle pat. Harry kneels in front of Draco and Delphi, and puts a hand on the small girl's shoulder. She turns to face him, and all she sees is empathy and understanding in his eyes. Delphi starts to calm down a little bit, pulling the blanket around her a little more and snuggling into Draco's embrace. Draco takes this as a sign to continue his story.

"I'll start from the beginning. Delphi was born in our home, in Malfoy Manor, on Valentine's Day, three months before the Battle of Hogwarts. It was kept a great secret, the fact that Voldemort was Delphi's father. None of the other Death Eaters knew, as far as we could tell. It was no secret that Aunt Bellatrix was devoted to Voldemort and we knew he valued her loyalty, but nobody ever suspected that they were in any type of relationship. They were very careful to hide it from everyone. When Aunt Bellatrix unexpectedly became pregnant, we were led to believe that the father was Rodolphus. Rodolphus certainly played the part of the expectant father well. After Delphi was born, she was taken from the Manor for her own safety. We'd been told she'd been sent to live with relatives of Rodolphus."

"That was until a few weeks ago. We were contacted by a woman named Euphemia Rowle, who claimed Delphi. Delphi didn't have the best of times with Rowle. Rowle was an unpleasant character. She didn't appear to be very fond of Delphi, and clearly only took her in for the gold. As far as we know, she wasn't a Death Eater. She didn't have a Dark Mark. Rowle told us that Voldemort is really Delphi's father. She proved it too, conjuring a snake and forcing Delphi to speak Parseltongue. She didn't put up a fight about us taking Delphi. We brought her home with us and intend to shower her with all the love that she deserves."

"Rowle isn't why we came to see you tonight. The reason we came to you lot is because we have a problem at Malfoy Manor. We have evidence that someone has snuck in the Manor last night. Whoever it was left a message for us." Draco hands Harry a wand, and Harry instantly recognizes it. It's Voldemort's original yew wand, whose core of phoenix feather is twin to the core of his own wand. "We found this outside the door to Delphi's room. We were hoping you might be willing to help us figure out who left it."

Harry nods in understanding and stands, "Ron and I will go with you to Malfoy Manor and have a look around. We will speak to the Minister about having words with any known Death Eaters or Death Eater sympathizers that somehow avoided Azkaban. Hopefully, we can find out what they are up to quickly and put a stop to it."

Draco and Ron rise as well. Ron sends out his Jack Russell Terrier Patronus to tell Kingsley to have a couple of Aurors with Vertitaserum meet them at Malfoy Manor and to verify that Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange are still in Azkaban. Several Resurrected offer to come, but Harry and Ron remind them that it might not be the best idea for their return not to become public knowledge quite yet. Madelyne offers to go with them, since she's the only non-Resurrected Ministry employee who's not a mother. The three men politely decline her offer and exchange goodbyes. Harry, Ron, and Draco then Disapparate to Malfoy Manor.

They find Lucius Malfoy in the midst of a duel. The three immediately join in the fray. Draco is immensely glad he decided to take his wife, his mother, his son, and his cousin with him to Grimmauld Place. The duel rages on between the four men and their opponent.

Their opponent comes as a huge shock. Their opponent is none other than Peter Pettigrew, back from the dead. The former Marauder Wormtail, who'd once been a dear friend to James, Sirius, and Remus. A dear friend who'd been James and Lily's Secret Keeper and betrayed them to Voldemort, who'd landed Sirius in Azkaban for twelve years. Draco is even shocked at this. Pettigrew had died right here in Malfoy Manor, Draco's ancestral home. Draco had seen and helped dispose of Pettigrew's dead body. Pettigree was killed by the silver prosthetic hand Voldemort had gifted him in reward for sacrificing his real hand to help Voldemort regain his physical form.

The duel goes for several more minutes. Pettigrew is shouting at them, attempting to explain himself. He appears to be in a bit of a panicked state. He says begs Lucius and Draco to help him, to not give him to Harry and Ron. Lucius laughs coldly at this. While he may not have lost any of his pure-blood supremacist views, he is very much done with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He is all about his family now, his family and nothing else. Draco angrily shouts that he will never help Pettigrew or any Death Eater. Then, Pettigrew is suddenly hit with a silent Stunning spell from behind.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or anything associated with it. The Harry Potter series is the property of J.K. Rowling. This fanfiction is a writing done out of love for the author's work and for creative pleasure. No disrespect or infringement is intended, and no profit is being made.

Author's Note: Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please be considerate and keep all criticism polite and constructive.

Chapter Six: Regulus Arcturus Black/p

A man steps out from the shadows of Malfoy Manor, his wand pointed at Peter Pettigrew. Ron and Draco look extremely confused. Lucius is clearly intrigued, despite attempting to look indifferent. Harry, on the other hand, is quite peaved.

"Sirius?! I thought I told you to stay at the house!" Harry shouts.

Pettigrew reacts most violently to hearing the name "Sirius". His eyes go wider than seems possible or healthy for the human eye to go. His expression is that of a dear caught in the headlights of a car. He bolts toward the door, desperate to escape Malfoy Manor. Luckily, Ron had the sense to place a spell preventing him from transforming into his Animagus form of a rat. Harry looks at his best friend with a raised eyebrow. He hadn't known such a spell existed. It appears to be a modified version of the spell Remus and Sirius used to reveal Pettigrew was an Animagus so many years ago. Draco, however, does not waste time questioning Ron's actions. He quickly binds and gags Pettigrew, keeping his wand pointed at the former Marauder. Harry and Ron quickly follow suit in pointing their wands at Pettigrew./p

Harry can't let it go though. Not taking his eyes of Pettigrew, Harry asks Ron, "Where did you learn that spell?"

Ron laughs and Harry imagines his best mate is grinning and shaking his head at him. "Hermione. There are definite perks to being married to the brightest witch of her age."

Harry doesn't pursue the matter any further and gets back to the task at hand. He turns his attention back to "Sirius", only to realize on closer inspection that the man who Stunned Pettigrew is not his godfather at all. He most certainly resembles Sirius a great deal, albeit a little younger and clean shaven in the face. Realization dawns on Harry as he finally identifies who he is looking at, and he can see that Ron has figured it out too. The man is Regulus Arcturus Black. Sirius's long deceased younger brother, who was once a Death Eater before betraying Lord Voldemort and dying in the act of trying to destroy one of the Dark Lord's Horcuxes./p

Harry greets the man, "Good evening, Mr. Black."/p

Regulus tilts his head in confusion, "James Potter? What are you doing here?"

Harry responds, "I am Harry Potter. You will need to be questioned before we can address any of your inquiries. Please place your wand on the ground and your hands in the air where we can see them. Cooperate and no harm will come to you."

Harry is just about to send Ron to go find out what's taking Kingsley and their backup so bloody long, when he hears the distinct sounds of Apparation from outside. Sure enough, Kingsley and six Ministry Aurors enter Malfoy Manor. The Aurors quickly spilt into groups of three and take custody of Pettigrew and Regulus. Ron goes to help the Aurors going to secure Pettigrew. Harry and Kingsley make efficient work of interrogating Pettigrew and Regulus with Veritaserum. Since Pettigrew is already known to be a criminal, as Dumbledore had managed after Sirius's death, to get Sirius cleared of the crimes Pettigrew had committed and framed him for, the Aurors quickly take him into custody to be shipped to Azkaban. Regulus is left to Harry and Ron, just as the others Resurrected have been. Kingsley and the Aurors take their leave, taking Pettigrew with them.

Regulus asks, in a rather sarcastic, Sirius-esque tone of voice, "Is anyone going to explain to me what's going on?"

Harry and Ron spend the next hour or so catching Regulus up on current events. They make sure to thank him for trying to help destroy the Horcruxes. Regulus is understandably incredulous hearing that. He had known he was going to die trying to destroy Slytherin's Locket, but at the time had acknowledged that his actions would like not contribute meaningfully to Lord Voldemort's defeat. An act of defiance, but nothing else. Regulus nonetheless eagerly agrees to accompany Harry, Ron, and Draco back to the old Black Family home.

Before they go, Ron does a quick charm and any damage done to Malfoy during the fight with Pettigrew is repaired. Improved self-confidence had done wonders for Ron over the years, who now felt comfortable using his potential to the fullest. Harry and Hermione had been pleasantly surprised to discover that Ron had an adept mind for law and politics, leading to Ron going into Magical Law Enforcement. Harry and Hermione quite enjoyed the change. With a fond smile on his face, Harry, along Ron, Draco, and Regulus, Disapparated and reappeared at 12 Grimmauld Place.

Harry instructed Regulus to remain just inside the front door, while he, Ron, and Draco briefed the others on what had occurred. The three men enter the living area, where the others have remained waiting for them. Ginny, Hermione, and Astoria are the first to greet them.

"Did you find anything at Malfoy Manor?" Hermione, having never lost her curiosity and eagerness to learn, asks them.

Harry nods in affirmation, "We did and unfortunately we have a bit of unpleasant news, so we ask that you allow us to just get it out of the way. Peter Pettrigrew is back. He was taken into Auror custody and transported to Azkaban, where he will spend the rest of his days."

Hermione recoils in disgust. James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Percy snap to attention on hearing Pettigrew's name. James and Sirius have pure hatred and rage in their eyes, while Lily looks deeply upset. For these three, Pettigrew's betrayal had brought pain and suffering they would not have wished on their worst of enemies. James and Lily had been killed as a direct result of Pettigrew betraying them to Lord Voldemort. Sirius had spent twelve years looked in prison tortured by Dementors because of Pettigrew, and then had to spend the rest of life running and hiding once he'd escaped. It was not an understatement to say that Pettigrew had a direct hand in ruining their lives.

For Remus and Percy, Pettigrew's name brings back terrible guilt. Remus had never forgiven himself for believing Sirius was the one who betrayed James and Lily, while Sirius was unjustly suffering in Azkaban. Percy had never gotten over the fact that he'd given Pettigrew direct access to Harry and Ron while Pettigrew was disguised as the rat Scabbers, unintentionally putting his younger brother in danger. Remus hangs his head, while Percy looks away and tightly clenches his fist. Tonks, Severus, and Arthur try to comfort Remus, Lily, and Percy, while Molly places a calming hand on the shoulders of a seething James and Sirius. Harry and Ron are not at all surprised by these strong reactions, but nonetheless proceed to provide a detailed summary of what happened at Malfoy Manor.

Ron says in a sympathetic tone, "Believe me, we were no happier to find out he is back than you are." The sixthborn Weasley son speaks the truth. Pettigrew was the reason Harry had been an orphan. He'd put Harry, Ron, and Hermione in terrible danger in their third year at Hogwarts. They have no love for him. However, it is time to move past Pettigrew and reunite Sirius with his younger brother./p  
p class="BodyA" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;" /p  
p class="BodyA" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"Harry starts, "Pettigrew wasn't the only person we found at Malfoy Manor. There was someone else there, who helped us capture Pettigrew. Someone who, despite what you may have known of him in the past, is definitely not our enemy now."

Harry nods to Draco. Draco walks out of the room and back down the entrance hallway. He gestures for an uneasy Regulus to follow him. Before his death, Regulus had not had the been on the best of terms with his elder brother. While part of him always loved Sirius, the other part was fully entrenched in the views of hatred and pure-blood supremacy that his parents imparted to him. Regulus had realized his mistake too late, leaving him without the chance to repair his relationship with his brother before he died. He genuinely has no idea how Sirius will react to seeing him again. Regulus stops at the end of the hallway as Harry makes the announcement.

"I'd like to introduce Mr. Regulus Arcturus Black."

Regulus steps into the room. Sirius has shot up from his seat at his godson's words, his eyes wide in shock. Never in Sirius's wildest of dreams had he ever expected that he would get to see his younger brother again. When Regulus had chosen to follow their parents's wishes and become a Death Eater, Sirius had given up on his cherished baby brother, though it pained him to do so. His heart had grieved first for the loss of the love that had once existed between them, and then grieved again later for Regulus himself when he'd died. James, Remus, and, before his betrayal, Peter had become his brothers, and they'd helped to heal the wound left in Sirius's heart. Now, Sirius has a second chance with his baby brother, and he doesn't intend to waste it.

Regulus makes his approach toward Sirius in a slow and wary manner. As soon as Regulus is within the reach of Sirius's arms, Sirius seizes him and pulls him into a tight embrace. It is now Regulus's turn to be wide-eyed and shocked. He had hoped Sirius might be happy to see him on some level, but he wasn't foolish enough to expect this reunion to go smoothly. There was too much baggage hanging between the two of them for that. To have Sirius actually embrace him, Regulus is more inclined to believe he is dreaming than to believe this is really happening. If that is true, is he is dreaming, Regulus sincerely hopes to never wake up.

The two brothers do not know how long remain like that. For those present who know Regulus, they are stunned. The last thing that Narcissa and Andromeda were expecting would be to see their cousin again. James and Remus both blink in surprise. Being Sirius's closest of friends, the two Marauders of course knew who Regulus was. However, Regulus had always been a sore subject with Sirius and was thus very seldom mentioned. For Kreacher, who was Regulus's most faithful of House Elfs, he is overjoyed at seeing his Master Regulus again.

"Master Regulus? Is it truly Kreacher's Master Regulus?"

Regulus disengages from Sirius and smiles in delight at seeing Kreacher. "Hello, Kreacher! I've missed you, old friend!"

Kreacher's reaction is joyful and exuberant and Regulus must calm the elderly House Elf before he does himself harm. Regulus gently commands Kreacher to sit down and have himself a cup of water. Even though Kreacher doesn't technically belong to Regulus anymore, Kreacher obeys Regulus's command without question or protest. With Kreacher settled, Regulus returns to his brother. A smirk on his face, Regulus reaches beneath the collar of his shirt and pulls a square locket over his head. He puts it in Sirius's hand.

"It's good to be back with you, Padfoot." Regulus then walks away toward Narcissa and Andromeda. A stunned Sirius looks down at the locket only to find it's design a perfect likeness of his Amimagus form. He opens the locket to find a picture of himself and Regulus as children before they grew apart. Regulus had known about the Marauders. Seeing the shocked expressions on James's, Sirius's, and Remus's faces, Molly decides it is quite time for everyone to retire for the night.


End file.
